Amah Mutsun Land Trust

The Amah Mutsun Land Trust seeks to restore indigenous knowledge and practices to the ancestral lands of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

The Amah Mutsun Land Trust is working to protect and restore native practices and traditions to Popeloutchom, the native territory of the Amah Mutsun tribe. The official region runs from Año Nuevo in the north, along the ridge lines and west slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay, south to the Salinas River, and inland to include the Pajaro and San Benito watersheds.

Founded in 2005, this land trust has three distinct goals: 

• Conserve and restore the cultural and natural resources of the indigenous people, most of whom are descendants of San Juan Bautista and Santa Cruz missions.

• Steward the land and water within the region. This includes combining tradition with responsible environmental management—all with the mindset of combining ancient practices and rituals with contemporary conservation methods.

• Research traditional ecological knowledge and apply it to modern-day challenges, preparing the land to be sustainable and respected for future generations.

Those who wish to help with the restoration and preservation of the region can volunteer or donate, and young people can also take part. The trust has a Native Stewardship Corps for young adult tribal members.

• Facebook